Sleeping Sun
by Avarya
Summary: The Dursleys send Harry and Dudley off to military camp, while going to Hawaii themselves. The order are searching the world for Harry, while the boy trains, makes friends and is recruited by MI6. Follow them all to camp and beyond. Harry/OC Warn. inside.
1. Chapter One

Chapter One of Sleeping Sun.

Disclaimer - I don't own anything you recognise. The only thing in this fic that is mine is Cedric and I am not giving him up for anything. I mean it.

**Warnings: SLASH (nothing excplicit and not for a while, but it _is _going to be there, sorry that I forgot to put this in before), Dudley-bashing, OC-s, disregard of canon events and likely personalities, to an extent, because I can't remember much of it. Anything new will be added to the start of a chapter.**

As soon as they got home from King's Cross station Vernon turned to Harry. As he wasn't yet purple from the face, Harry wasn't afraid that the man was going to say or do something nasty in response to the threat they received at the station.

"Listen here, boy. I got a reward trip to Hawaii for good work from Grunnings, for me and Petunia. Since we can't take Dudley with us and Marge is in America visiting a dog show, you and Dudley will be going to camp. It was a recommendation from Smeltings and cheap enough to send you both there. And don't even think about getting out of it. Think of some explanation for those freaks, so that they won't come bothering me and Petunia while we're on holiday. Now get to your room, there s a pamphlet about the camp. And don t even think you can take that ruddy bird with you to camp," with that Vernon nodded to himself and waddled off into the living room.

Harry just stood by the door for a few moments, before he shook himself out of his stupor and trudged up the stairs, pulling his trunk behind himself. He shook his head, hardly believing that the Dursleys would spend any amount of money on him, let alone send him to a camp. They certainly hadn't before. And it had to be a good one if they were sending their precious Duddykins there too. He opened the door to his room and walked in, dumping his trunk at the foot of his bed and placing Hedwig's cage on the small table. The bird ruffled her feathers a little and then settled to sleep. Harry saw the promised pamphlet and picked it up. It was coloured to look camouflaged and printed on the front was 'Exeter Military Camp for Young Men'. This raised Harry's eyebrows. '_So they're sending us to military boot camp? Sirius would have thought it to be hilarious. Dudley the Whale in boot camp, makes me wonder if the Dursleys actually read about the camp past the cost'_, Harry thought with a small grin. It still hurt a little to think about Sirius, but he'd come to terms with his passing, at least somewhat. The talk with Luna helped, it made him realize that when he finally met with his parents and Sirius again he wanted them to be proud of him and the way he had lived his life. No more moping about, he had a madman after his life. The camp might actually help somewhat. And it would be fun to see Dudley crawling and running, all of his fat flopping around him. This might prove more effective in losing weight than last summer's diet.

Only problem for Harry was the Order. They would likely protest to him going to camp, so they couldn't know about him going to camp. Hmm, what to tell them? Perhaps, that the Dursleys won a trip around the world? Yes, that would keep the Order occupied outside Britain. Possibly the Death Eaters as well, if they should somehow manage to get wind of him touring the world with his relatives, completely defenceless. It would be the perfect prank, in memory of Sirius.

Harry sat on his bed and opened the pamphlet to read about the camp.

_'Exeter Military Camp is located in Cornwall, near the town of Exeter. It is a camp for young men from the age of 14 to 17. We offer a full military training programme, suited for the age group. The exercises are designed to teach strategy, teamwork and survival and give the trainees better endurance, strength and abilities._

_All campers are given a full uniform set, to keep as their own. At no time after receiving the uniforms can the campers wear regular clothes, until after the end of camp. Those caught breaking rules will receive a proper punishment, military style. Rules are explained fully after arrival at camp grounds and are displayed at a stand in front of the main building._

_All campers sleep in dorm-buildings, divided first alphabetically and after the first week in teams by abilities. Not sleeping in the assigned dorm will result in a punishment, unless the team is completing an exercise outdoors..._

Yep, the Dursleys definitely didn't read through the pamphlet. There was no way Petunia would allow her precious Diddidums to sleep outside. Harry just hoped he wouldn't be placed on the same team as his cousin. Sleeping in the same dorm the first week wouldn't happen either, as thankfully they were arranged alphabetically. Which meant that D. Dursley was _faaaar _away from him, H. J. Potter. Maybe he could avoid Dudley altogether throughout the camp, though he wasn't counting on it much. Dudley would likely try to find as many opportunities as possible to make his stay at camp horrible. But as they were away from Vernon and Petunia, Harry could retaliate freely, especially as he wasn't likely to see them again after the camp. Since the order was going to believe him travelling with his family, returning on the 15th of August...

That stopped Harry in his tracks. 15th of August? And it started on the 15th of June. That meant two months. Two whole months of the summer away from here. In a military camp. _Oh Merlin_. How the hell did he think he was going to survive that? He was short and scrawny and not all that strong. His only strengths were his speed and quick reflexes. He sighed. Guess he'd have to build up all the other things to survive. Still, he was a hell of a lot better off than Dudley. He was the size of a whale and about as fast as a beached one. The thought made Harry snicker. He couldn't wait to see how bad Dudley would fare in the camp. If all else failed, that could always make his day brighter.

The ten days before camp couldn't have seemed longer. Or shorter. Some moments seemed to speed by at the speed of light, while others went at snail pace. It was like every other summer, spent doing chores, sitting in the park in the evenings and writing answers to the letters his friends sent. Not that they wrote much of interest, just like last summer, except this time Hermione was pestering him about not shutting everyone out and talking about his feelings. She had apparently read that it wasn't healthy to hold in the grief and that Sirius wouldn t have wanted him to waste away in depression. Seeing this, he'd decided it was a good idea that he hadn't told Ron and Hermione about the prophesy. He wouldn t have been able to bear the lectures then.

He also sent the required letters to the order, telling them that he was fine and that the Dursleys were treating him okay.

On the morning that they were to leave for the camp Harry attached a pre-written letter for the order to Hedwig's leg, telling them that he was leaving with his relatives for a round-the-world trip for the next two or so months, starting with America. He sent Hedwig on her way after having given her cage to her, telling her to be careful and not to come find him in the next two months. The bird nipped at his fingers and gave a soft hoot, before flying off.

"Boy! Get down here, we have to get going or we'll be late!" Aunt Petunia's shrill voice yelled up the stairs. Harry sighed, before answering, "Coming, Aunt Petunia!". He picked up his back-pack, containing a change of clothes, his toiletry bag and his shrunken trunk. No way was he leaving any of his things here, especially if he could take them with him. He walked to the door, giving one last glance at the room he had lived in since he was eleven. He had a feeling he wouldn't be returning here, ever. With one last sigh he walked out of the room, closing the door behind himself, and down the stairs to where his relatives were waiting. Dudley had a huge sports bag along with a large back-pack. Harry raised his eyebrows at seeing those, but wisely kept quiet. He did wonder to himself though, what his cousin could possibly bring so much that needed all that space. It once again proved that the Dursleys hadn't bothered to read through the pamphlet.

Vernon nodded to himself, though it looked like his head was bobbing, and they all wlked outside. Vernon locked the front door, before unlocking the car and then popping the trunk. Harry placed his bag in one corner, before lifting Dudley s two heavy bags in as the whale squeesed himself in the car. His eyebrows once again rose, this time at the weight. Seriously, what was he taking to camp? His friends? The TV and computer? He shook his head, closing the trunk, and then got in. Vernon started the car and they took off.

The ride to Exeter was mostly quiet, the radio was playing, news alternating with some kind of music. If asked, Harry couldn't have told you anything about what was playing on the radio. He was completely absorbed in his own thoughts. He didn t really know what to expect from this camp, except for a lot of training. Running, definitely, climbing maybe, likely. What else? How long would it be until the order found him? Would they even realise he was still in Britain, not touring the world? Hopefully there would be no one from the Wizarding World there, or he would likely be screwed. Even if he didn t personally no them, a witch or wizard could easily recognise _him _becuse of the scar. The press could then find out and it would not be pretty. At all. He _sooo _didn't want to hear Molly Weasley and Hermione lecturing at him, or see Dumbledore's disappointed blue eyes looking at him over those half-moon glasses. Later would come the lecture about how irresponsible he'd been, placing himself and others in danger, leading the order on a crazy chase around the world. He could already picture it in his mind. After that the order would force the Dursleys to return to Privet Drive, so that the wards could be recharged and he'd be left with the Dursleys for the rest of the summer. They would hate him even more and make him do an impossible amount of chores, feeding him even less and locking him in his room the rest of the time. He almost shuddered at the thought. He really hoped the order wouldn't find out about him being in the camp. A military camp at that. Most of them wouldn't understand a thing about that, being raised in the Wizarding World. There were so few wizards and they were too confident in their Aurors, so they didn't even consider the need for a trained army.

For a while he drifted off, lulled by his thoughts, the radio and the car's rumble. About an hour later he was woken from his slumber by a punch from Dudley. Looking around and rubbing his eyes of sleep, he sat up straight.

"Listen up, boy. we're nearly in Exeter and we have some rules for you. You had better not use any of your freakishness in that camp, because we are normal people and being associated with you is more than bad enough. And you are to stay away from Dudley, if he decides to play as if he doesm't know you. Would have been even better if he really didn't. And I don't want any complaints from them about you. Or from those freaky friends of yours. What did you tell them, anyway?" Vernon said, narrowing his eyes at Harry in the rear-view mirror.

Harry shrugged, answering, "I wrote to them that we're all going on a two-month trip around the world, starting in America, but completely avoiding Hawaii, for some reason. Said we might go to Australia, China and Greece, in no certain order, so that they won't be looking for me here and you can relax in Hawaii."

"Good. If they won't bother us, the better for you," Petunia said, not even looking at him. The car fell silent again after that, Petunia and Vernon both watching the road, Dudley playing some handheld video game and Harry once more lost in thought.

Soon the town of Exeter came into view and ten minutes later they were parked in front of a school building, a big bus waiting twenty feet away with a small group of people standing in front of it. All of them got out of the car, Vernon opening the trunk. Harry quickly pulled out Dudley's bags, before grabbing his own pack and closing the trunk. He started walking towards the group by the bus, the Dursleys coming behind him. Petunia was fussing over Dudley, smoothing his hair and clothes while the boy tried to squirm away.

"Mum, you're embarrassing me!" he whined. Petunia huffed, but stopped, though Harry could have sworn he could still see her hands twitching while he was waiting for them to get to the bus.

"Good day sir, ma'm sending your sons to camp, I see?" said a man standing by the bus entrance. He was wearing a camouflage uniform and had a clipboard in hand.

Vernon visibly purpled at the plural form of 'sons', but said, quite politely, (for him anyway), "My son Dudley Dursley and my wife's _nephew _Harry Potter." The nephew before Harry's name was slightly stressed and said with not a little contempt, probably to make sure the man understood that Harry was in no way their son.

The man nodded, marking something on his clipboard. "Very well. I'll need the parental consent forms for both boys. You can place your bags in the overhead luggage rack inside the bus. Although, Mr. Dursley, you _do _know that you only need your personal hygiene products in camp? We provide everything else and casual clothes are not allowed at all during camp," he said, eyeing Dudley s two large bags. Vernon puffed up at hearing that, indignant that his son wouldn't be able to wear what he wanted. Before he could start yelling, the man cut in, saying, "I'm sorry sir, but those are the rules of the camp and they are not broken for anyone. You will have to leave behind everything but a change of clothes and your hygiene products."

All three Dursleys huffed, but seeing as there was no-where for Dudley to stay and the camp had been paid for, there was nothing for them to do but stomp back to the car and unload any and all unnecessary things to the backseat. It took about ten minutes, with Dudley probably trying to sneak some things in his bag. Finally he was done and the family got back. Harry had already gone into the bus and found an empty seat near the front. His bag was sitting on the luggage rack, next to everyone else's. He saw the Dursleys handing over the permission slips and then the parents saying good bye to Dudley. Vernon clapped his son on the back, the fat on his arm rippling. Petunia however had tears in her eyes and was hugging Dudley for all her worth, though the boy was so large she couldn't wrap her arms around even half of him. Finally the man with the clipboard cleared his throat pointedly, making Petunia let go of Dudley. She sniffled, saying something that sounded suspiciously like, 'Oh, my baby boy, all grown up.'

Harry had to stifle his laughter, but some other boys on the bus weren t so discreet. They stopped, however, when Dudley waddled onto the bus. Harry, who had been looking out the window, was startled out of his thoughts when someone plopped down next to him, just before Dudley reached his seat.

"Hey, my name s Cedric Parker," the boy now sitting next to him said. He had dirty blond hair and warm brown eyes, set in a smiling face.

Harry'smiled back, saying, "Harry Potter. Nice to meet you."

"Ya know, I still haven't gotten used to the British accent. It's so strange to hear you people speak," Cedric said. "I'm from the states, my dad got a job here so we moved. Me, my parents and two younger sisters. They're twins, six years old, real menaces. I'm sixteen myself. What about you?" he asked.

Harry sighed. He hated talking about himself, but Cedric did seem nice and better to make friends than enemies, right? "My parents were killed by a maniac when I was a year old. I was an only child. Lived with my mother's sister and her family ever since. I've been going to a boarding school in Scotland since I was eleven, so five years now."

"Hmm, that school wouldn't happen to be Hogwarts, would it?" Cedric asked with a mischievous smile. Harry's mouth fell open and he could do nothing but stare. "Don't worry, I m not going to tell anyone that you're here. Us americans don't really care for all the crap that's been going on here, since it hasn't affected us yet. But we do know about it, since it's taught in school. And I researched the situation before coming to England. Although I certainly didn't expect to meet you of all people here. Didn't really expect to find any of our kind here, to be honest."

Harry's mind was reeling. All the time he had been in the Wizarding World, everyone had been fawning over him or hating him, but here was a young man who apparently didn t care for all that one bit. Although he'd hoped to remain anonymous while at camp, it felt good to know that there was someone who knew. "But, if you know about the situation, why did you move here? Surely you know of the'dangers involved?" Harry asked.

"That's why we moved. My dad was hired by the MI6, he's in the _special _part. They're working to find ways to bring down the bad guy. Bet they're going to try recruiting you. If they haven't already, that is?" Cedric asked. Harry noticed how his eyes lit up when the other boy was talking about his father and couldn t help but be a little jealous. He wished he had a father to be proud of. Right now he knew very little. Too little.

"No, they haven't recruited me. I'm not really sure I'd accept if they did. I mean, I haven't even finished school yet. And my life expectancy isn't all that high at the moment, what with a madman after my life and all," Harry'said, rather morosely. There just didn't seem much hope that he could win against Voldemort. The first time his mother's sacrifice saved him, first year Voldie was in spirit-form, second year it was the sixteen-year-old memory of the bastard, fourth year he just got lucky and last time Dumbledore arrived in time to save him.

"Hey come on, don't be so pessimistic. You've got a lot of potential and you just need a little push in the right direction to find your way. You'll survive, I'm sure of it. I'll personally make sure that both of us come out of this alive and relatively well," the other boy said. He nodded to himself, making Harry'smile.

"Just make sure you don't get yourself killed while trying to save me," was Harry's answer.

Just then another boy stepped on the bus, followed by the man with the clipboard, effectively cutting off any further conversation between the two boys.

"Listen up, and listen good" the man said. "My name is captain James Merry. As all of you are now finally here," he looked at the boy who had come last, making him blush and duck his head, while some others snickered. They got a glare for their efforts. "we will start the trip to Exeter Camp. Take a look at the boy sitting next to you. They will be your partner for the next week, maybe for the rest of the camp if you re lucky. Or unlucky. You will share a bunk-bed and do any and all exercises that require a partner together. You may not change your partner for any reason. If you can't get along, tha's your problem. Unless they try to kill or seriously maim you, we will not interfere. If you are caught breaking the rules, there will be a military style punishment waiting for you. Sabotaging others to further yourself is not allowed, unless expressly said so. If you are caught doing so, you will be disqualified from the exercise and will not receive any points. Points are given for every exercise completed and the amount depends on your performance. The ones with the most points at the end of this week and the ones with the best scores at the end of the camp get an award. They do not necessarily have to be the same people. We expect you to do your very best and those caught slacking off are given extra assignments. The rules will be explained at the assembly at the camp, after you have received your uniforms. You have to wear it at all times after receiving it. Not doing so will result in a punishment. You have until the end of this bus ride to find a partner you get along with. Once the bus has stopped at the camp, I will write down your name and that of your partner. With your uniforms you are given two name-tags. Fasten one of them to your own uniform and give the other to your partner, to fasten to their's. Any and all questions will be answered at the assembly. Have a nice ride, because it's going to be the last nice thing you experience in the next two months." With that captain Merry sat down and the bus took off.

Cedric reached out his hand and said, "Partners?"

Harry smiled as he accepted it. "Of course."

TBC... (Possibly )

**AN. So, I've started a new story. Not sure how frequent the updates are going to be, as school is starting soon and I have a book to write. And I'm rewriting 'Into the Night' again. Just the last chapter, to make the story longer and more detailed, but still. Takes time and energy. And I'm known to have lapses in the interest I have in my stories. Lets just hope my muse doesn't abandon the story. I'll likely finish the story anyway, but the quality and length is dependant on whether or not I actually like writing it. Anyway, reviews are nice and guilt me into writing. ;) Ann**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, for those of you who got to read the chapter with mistakes, sorry. I fixed them all, hopefully, but I can't unload without the quotation marks escaping and I forgot to replace them. Sorry.**

For warnings and disclaimer, please see chapter one.

Chapter 2.

The bus ride to the camp was entertaining to say the least. Every single boy who sat next to Dudley left a few minutes later, either disgusted or infuriated. Finally, as they were nearing the camp, a boy about the same age as Dudley walked over to the last bench where Dudley was sitting (he couldn t fit anywhere else) and said, "Since we're the last ones left, we'll have to be partners. Worthless, the bunch of them anyway." He, like Dudley, was overweight, and had dull brown hair. His voice was at the same annoyingly whiny pitch as the other and both had the air of someone who thinks too much of themselves.

Harry and Cedric had discreetly watched Dudley the whole bus ride, after Harry explained his connection to the whale. They grew steadily more amused as the camp came closer. They quietly commented on every boy who approached Dudley, trying to predict how they would leave. Finally their attention was brought to a rather fat boy who had sat alone most of the bus ride. Others just seemed to avoid him. Two boys had apparently asked him to move next to Dudley, since they were the last ones left without a partner and he shouldn't hold a double-seat just to himself. The boy seemed like he wanted to retort, but a pointed glare from Captain Merry made him stand up and move.

Harry and Cedric had to hold in their laughs as the boy passed them. He was swaying slightly, due to the bus rocking a little. Although it could have just been some issues with balance. They discreetly watched as the boy made his way towards Dudley, copied by everyone else on the bus. All of them wanted to know how the two would get along, since no one else could get along with either of them. If they couldn't get along, they were screwed. They'd be stuck together and with no one willing to help them. One thing was going through every watching boy's head - watching those two fail will be spectacularly amusing.

"I hope this camp improves their attitude, because if this doesn't help, I don t think there's anything that could," Harry said. The camp was coming into view and Harry was feeling both terrified and giddy. Although he was glad to have a friend there to help him through it all, he was still a little afraid. What if he couldn't do it? What if he failed so horribly that they wanted to send him back? He was pulled out of his steadily worsening mood by Cedric.

"Yeah, I m pretty sure it'll help them. I've been going to similar camps for years and my dad has been training me as well. And don't worry, I'll help you through it. It can seem pretty awful if you haven't done anything like this before, but there are ways to make it all enjoyable. Well, at least a little more bearable. No one could enjoy being yelled at while crawling through mud, rain pouring down on them. Unless they're seriously unbalanced. But then again, they don't really count either, do they?" Cedric said with a mischievous smile. Harry smiled back. While the other boy was talking, they"d passed through the camp gates and soon stopped.

Captain Merry stood up. "Listen up. We are now at camp. The moment you stepped on this bus, there was no turning back. Your parents won't be here to help you, you'll have to learn to rely on yourself and your companions. No communications with the outside world are allowed for you, unless it is a dire emergency, then the camp social worker will make the contact. If you are caught with a phone or any other device, you will be isolated from others and the device is taken away until the end of the camp. No visits are allowed, again unless it s a serious emergency. Now, you won't get off the bus until your name is called. If you are called, you take your things and come out along with your partner. If any of so much as twitch the wrong way, I'll have you running laps before you can say 'military'." With that he walked off the bus and started calling out the names.

"Adams!" Two boys behind Harry and Cedric got up and grabbed their things, walking out. They watched as Captain Merry wrote down the names of both boys and then sent them to the building in front of them.

"Appleton!" was the next name called. This time the boys from the seat nearest to the front got up and left the bus, taking their things with them. The same thing happened as last time - their names were written down and they were sent to the same building.

"Bernards!" was called and two more boys left.

"Dursley!" was called and Harry turned around to watch his cousin and his partner get up. It took them a while, but eventually they got their things and got off the bus. Dudley tried to sneer at Harry and Cedric, but only managed to look constipated. Harry and Cedric just smiled at him in return. They'd decided to act nice and civil to Dudley and his friend, if only to make sure they didn't look like the bad guys if Dursley tried anything. So far they were managing quite well.

A few more names were called off and the crowd on the bus thinned. Finally, they heard "Parker!" called and got up to get their things. They walked off the bus, Cedric followed by Harry, and stood in front of Capt. Merry.

Looking up at them, he asked, "Names?"

"Cedric Parker, sir," Cedric said, standing at attention. The Captain wrote off the name and then looked expectantly at Harry.

He didn't even try to act like Cedric, because he was sure he'd fail spectacularly and just look like an idiot. "Harry Potter, sir." He said. The man nodded and then pointed towards the same building he'd sent the others to.

Both boys looked at it and Capt. Merry said, "That's the main building. You'll get your uniforms there and after the assembly you are to go there for haircuts. Now, go." The boys hurried to do as he said, though Harry did wonder when they were told where they were going to sleep.

As they stepped inside the main building, Harry had to blink a few times to get his eyes adjusted to the fluorescent lighting of the building. He really hoped their dorms would have better lamps. His glasses slid off his nose and he had to push them back up, all the while silently cursing them. How he hated having to wear them. They were a serious liability in battle and even in this camp, as he was practically blind with out them. He followed Cedric, who was following the arrows stuck to the walls. They were bright red and hard to miss on the dark green background. A minute later they reached an open door that revealed a room filled with shelves and a table. A man was standing by the table, reading something written on a piece. He looked up as Cedric knocked on the doorframe.

"Ah, more new campers. Are there much more?" he asked. Harry and Cedric shook their heads at the gray-haired man and he sighed in relief. Or what they thought was relief. "Good, I'm getting too old for this. My back can't take much more of the constant box lifting and then bending down to get things from said boxes. Now, try these on," he said as he handed them two shirts. The boys shared a quick look but did as told. The old man explained as he saw the look exchanged. "It's easier to have you try something on to determine the size of your uniform, than going by some supposed number and then having to switch it later because it's too big or too little. Worked well with those two really over-weight boys. What their parents were thinking allowing it to happen, I'll never know. This camp should set them straight though." He took back the shirts, and started to rifle through the boxes on the shelves. Finally he pulled out a set packed in plastic and gave it to Cedric, and then started to search through another box. This time the search went quicker and Harry too had a uniform. Then he asked for their shoe sizes and gave both a pair of tank boots.

"Now, those aren't your only uniforms. You'll get the other sets later, after the assembly. Now, through that door is the changing rooms. Put on your uniforms and then go out the other door," he said, pointing to a previously unnoticed door. Just as they were going through it they heard the man say, "Ah, more new campers. Are you the last?"

"Kinda creepy, that guy, isn't he?" Cedric said as Harry closed the door. He nodded with a smile, turning his eyes downward to look at the package containing his new uniform. Following his friends example, he dropped the boots to the floor, along with his backpack. Then they tore open the plastic surrounding the clothes and laid them out on the bench running the length of the room's centre. There was a hat, a white undershirt, a camouflage long-sleeved shirt, same style pants, black socks and, to Harry's embarrassment, a pair of black boxers.

Cedric grinned when he saw Harry s red cheeks and said, "Hey, you better get over any embarrassment soon cause we"re going to be sharing a military dorm with other guys for the next two months and there's going to be very little privacy, maybe none at all. Trust me, I know from experience."

Harry nodded, cursing his shyness. "Yeah, I know and I've shared a regular dorm-room with four other guys, but it's still a little disconcerting. I"ve never really been comfortable around other people. It's not going to be a problem, though my face will likely be red most of the time spent in the dorm," Harry said with a small grin.

Cedric nodded and started undressing. "We better hurry, or the next are going to barge in here while we re changing," he joked, though Harry paled a little at the thought. He quickly started changing as well, though his cheeks warmed again soon, as he undressed. Unbidden, his eyes drifted to watch Cedric, while he undressed. The other boy was lean muscled and quite a few inches taller than Harry. He had a rather nice chest, in Harry's opinion, though when he caught himself, he quickly averted his eyes, embarrassed at having stared. His cheeks warmed even more as he hoped that Cedric hadn't noticed.

But the other boy had, as he himself had been watching Harry. He hid a smile as he saw Harry look away and blush. He didn't mind being watched and he rather liked it when it was done by someone as cute and shy as Harry. The boy had a lean body, but he seemed far too short and skinny. Although it would likely change because of the training he was going to be put through. Cedric had read ahead about the camp and the general consensus was that it was the toughest and most demanding of the military camps in the British Isles. It's why his dad chose this for him. And because the MI6 was known in some circles to find new recruits from here. Both of his parents had been involved in the secret services, but his mum quit after finding out that she was pregnant with him. She never rejoined them, as both his parents thought it better. They didn't want to leave their children without anyone in the world. When the twins were born while his father was on an operation table, near death, that decision was even more justified.

Soon they were completely redressed and just in time too, as the door opened to reveal two boys. They were the last ones to come. After quickly shoving their casual clothes in their bags, they nodded to the newcomers and then walked out the other door, wondering where it would lead them.

As it turned out, the door opened to the hallway they had walked down earlier. Both boys looked around, not sure where to go next. They saw the same arrows, only now they were in bright blue, pointing further down the hall. Following the new markers, Harry and Cedric reached the end of the corridor and found a door on the left side leading outside marked with a blue X. They shared a look again, before Cedric opened it and they walked outside together. The natural light hurt both of their eyes, so they had to shield their faces with their hands. When their eyes adjusted and the spots were cleared away, they looked around to see where they were. It seemed like some kind of square. The main building was behind them and there was a row of similar buildings on either side of the square. In the middle of it was a long flagpole with the British flag waving in the wind.

They saw the others who had come before them stand in a group near the flagpole and walked towards them, looking around at the buildings. All of them had numbers on them, except the first one on the left, which had a red cross on the door. Harry assumed it was the medical building.

"I wonder what we're supposed to do now? No one told us anything," one of the boys said. My name is Matthias Glass, by the way," he introduced himself. He had light blond hair and blue eyes, and seemed about a year older than Cedric and Harry.

"Cedric Parker, and this is my partner Harry Potter," Cedric said. Harry responded by nodding.

"I'm Colin Adams. Matthias is my partner," said the boy they'd seen leave the bus first. He had brownish hair and dark eyes, and looked about the same age as Matthias. "We've known each other since we were little." Matthias nodded.

Another two boys had exited the building behind them. Both had red hair and looked quite a lot alike. "Hello. We're Alex and Clark Starlite. Nice to meet you all," they said, switching from one to the other with the names. It reminded Harry eerily of the Weasley twins and hoped that these two wouldn't be as bad. "We're twins, if you hadn't already guessed," Clark said. Alex nodded and added with a shrug, "Fraternal, but, what can you do?" This time Clark nodded and said, "We would have much preferred to be identical, but we're quite lucky to look as alike as we do. It could have gone much worse." What was it with redheaded twins? He'd thought only Fred and George were like that, but it seemed he'd been wrong.

"Creepy," Cedric said, looking at the twins.

Harry looked at him with a slightly raised eyebrow. "I've met identical twins who switch talking in the middle of sentences. Now that's creepy, especially as they do it all the time and we can never tell which one is which. I'm not even sure they know themselves who is who. And they're the worst pranksters alive. They've even opened up a joke shop," Harry said with a shudder. Just the thought of their pranks carrying on even after they themselves were long gone was terrifying. Those two were geniuses when it came to thinking up pranks.

"Ooh, we think we'd like to meet those twins. What are their names?" the twins asked. They too switched, though not in the middle of a sentence.

"Fred and George Weasley. Although if you asked them, they'd more than likely tell you something else and then find an impossible amount of ways to confuse you with the names. I've had the dubious pleasure of being named an honorary brother of theirs," Harry said.

"Why?" someone asked.

"Well, for one, I'm friends with their younger brother and sister. And I gave them the money to start up their joke shop," Harry said. He left out that the unofficial adoption to the Weasley family occurred after he'd saved Ginny.

"Where'd you get the money for that, freak? Stole from my parents, most likely!" Dudley sneered as he waddled over. That boy seriously needed to lose some weight. And some of that horrible attitude that Vernon and Petunia had ingrained in him. There was no redemption for the adult Dursleys, but there may be hope for Dudley.

"Dear cousin, I don't need to steal anything, unlike you and your merry band of miscreants in Surrey. I won that money in a competition in school and since I neither wanted nor needed it I gave it to people who could do something good with it," Harry said. He resisted the urge to sneer like Dudley, so instead raised an eyebrow challengingly. So far he'd managed to remain quite civil to his cousin, which would work in his favour just fine. Dudley would feel everything that Harry himself had suffered for nearly ten years.

"You two are cousins?" Matthias asked disbelievingly, looking between Harry and Dudley. He, like others just couldn't see it. Harry was short, thin and had black hair and green eyes. Dudley was dangerously over-weight, blond-haired and blue-eyed. Plus, their personalities were completely different. "I just can t see it."

"Yeah, I wouldn't either, but I've had to live with him for the last nearly ten years and the following four summers. I can luckily escape to boarding school in Scotland for most of the year. Wish I could stay there year-round," Harry said wistfully. It really was too bad that he couldn't stay. Hogwarts was one of the few places he felt at least somewhat safe and he called the castle his home.

"So, you're an orphan?" one of the boys asked.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, my parents were murdered when I was a year old. I survived, by some miracle." They didn t need to know that the man who murdered his parents was still out there and preparing to kill Harry and possibly everyone around him at that moment, just because he thought them beneath himself.

"What happened to the murderer?" another boy asked. Seriously, hadn't they heard of tact?

"He disappeared," was all he said and his tone marked the end of the conversation.

"Okay, enough of this morbidness," one of the twins said. Harry thought it might have been Clark. "Yeah, we still haven't heard your names," the other added.

"Matthias Glass, and this is my partner Colin Adams."

"Cedric Parker and Harry Potter."

"Xander Appleton and Leo Calyx."

"Ian Cole and Ryan Bernards."

"Theo Turner and JJ Morris."

"Chris Tyrell and Richard Morris."

"Tyler Coleman and Stan Pickly"

That was everyone but Dudley and his partner. When everyone turned to look at the two, Dudley finally broke and said, "Dudley Dursley and Donald Quinsey." Most of the others snickered at the names, but some just grinned.

Before anyone could say anything else, the door to the main house opened and four uniformed adults walked out.

"Make a line, partners together!" Capt. Merry said. Since the adults were standing in front of the flagpole, the boys scrambled to make a line opposite them. Cedric quietly instructed Harry how to stand - back straight, chin up and arms clasped behind your back.

Captain Merry proceeded to walk down the line, correcting stances and nodding approvingly at those who had it right by themselves. When he got to Harry and Cedric he nodded approvingly and walked on, correcting the boys next to them. When he was done, he walked back to the other adults.

A man took a step forward. "I am General John Wilson," he said in a loud and commanding voice. "I am the leader of this camp. I am the strictest and most demanding of those here. If you are sent to me for punishment, then you are so deep in trouble that you'll be digging yourself out 'til the end of the camp. So I suggest you behave. Capt. Jones will read you the rules of the camp. They are also posted in every dorm and on the notice board in front of the main building." With that he stepped back and a younger man took his place.

"I am Capt. Jones. I handle all disciplinary actions, unless the misdeed is severe enough to warrant the General's attention. The rules are as follows:

"1. Trainees must obey the officers. Disobedience is punished with physical exercises, unless the consequences are too severe.

"2. No electronic devices, such as games, phones, computers etc. are allowed at camp grounds. If found in possession of one, the device is confiscated until the end of the camp and the trainee is isolated for a number of days, depending on the number of devices in his possession.

"3. At no time between the start and final assembly, may the trainees wear casual clothes. Punishment depending.

"4. Sabotage of others is forbidden, unless said otherwise at the start of the exercise. If caught sabotaging others or their work, the culprit is disqualified from the exercise and no points are given. Points may be taken from the culprit, if the sabotage is severe enough.

"5. No fighting between trainees is allowed outside exercises. If found fighting, the participants are isolated and points may be taken.

"6. Any and all contact with the outside world will go through the camp social worker, Lieutenant Hiller. No visits are allowed, no exceptions. No mail can be received while at camp.

"7. All trainees must sleep in their assigned dorms. Sleeping outside your assigned dorm is forbidden, unless on an exercise. Dorms are by groups and divided alphabetically, by partners.

"8. Curfew is at 23.00, sharp. If you are not in your assigned dorm by the time of the curfew, you will receive a punishment. Wake up is at 06.00 every morning, unless said otherwise the night before. Sleeping in is not allowed.

"9. All trainees must work hard and do their best. Slacking off will merit more exercises. Feigning an injury to get out of completing and exercise will bring even worse exercises.

"10. Disrespect to the trainers is handled by the trainer who was shown disrespect, as thought appropriate by them.

"11. Stealing is not allowed at any time. The misdeed will be added to your files.

"12. Lying is not allowed, unless it is part of completing an exercise.

"13. Threatening others is not allowed.

"Those are the rules. You are expected to follow them. Breaking rules is not allowed, no exceptions, and blaming others will only worsen your punishment. You are all equal here, no exceptions are made, no matter who you think you are, or who your parents are. The only thing that can set you apart from others is the skills you show." With that he stepped back into the line.

A new man stepped up. He had a little kinder face than the others and he seemed a bit younger too. "I am Lieutenant Hiller, the camp social worker, and part-time psychologist. If you have any troubles or just wish to speak to someone not of your group, then you can come to me. As said before, all communications with the outside world go through me, so if your parents or guardians call, I'm going to be the one talking to them and then telling you what they said. Likewise, should you have a message to them, talk to me and I'll forward it. You can usually find me in the main building." That said, he stepped back.

Then Capt. Merry came forward again, while the others left to the main building. "I will now divide you into four teams. First team - Adams, Glass, Appleton, Calyx, Bernards, Cole. Second team - Coleman, Pickly, Dursley, Quinsey, Morris, Turner. Third team - Morris, Tyrell, Parker, Potter, Starlite, Starlite. You will be in these teams for the first week, then there will be an evaluation of your skills, after which you will be regrouped and possibly given new partners. You will do everything together with your partner and/or group. You sleep in the same dorm, go to the meals together and do all exercises together." Capt. Merry started walking towards the buildings. "I suggest you remember the name of your dorm, because it'll be your team's name. Leave your things in there, then come back out and wait. First team, here," he said, pointing to the third building on the left side. He walked on, the others following him, while the mentioned team entered their new home. "Second team, here!" They were directed to the next building, right beside the first team. The third team was sent to the one beside the second. Their dorm was named 'Air'.

The building was small, but not enough to be cramped. There were two bunk-beds on the left side of the room and one on the right, along with two desks and chairs. Six black trunks, two under each bed.

"I get the top bunk!" Cedric said, throwing his bag on top of the bed on the right side. Harry smiled as he placed his on the lower one.

There was a door at the far end of the room, which lead to the bathroom, as Chris discovered.

"Come on, we need to go." Richard said, so they all left.

Captain Merry was waiting outside, along with the other teams. Each team was handed a piece of paper with instructions on where to go. The first team headed off into the med-building, while the second and third went to the main building, to get their uniforms and haircuts, respectively.

TBC.

**AN. I wanted to get the haircuts and examinations over with in this chapter too, but I just don t have the time. It s already taken this morning and most of the afternoon, and I have a lot of cleaning to do, as my aunt and grandmother are coming to visit and my mom is away at work. This is possibly the longest chapter I've written, don't know for sure. Anyway, there was some confusion yesterday about the chapters. I added the warnings to the first chapter, but I had to replace the chapter for that, so, sorry for the confusion. And some anonymous reviewers were worried, because I said in the last note that I wasn't sure whether I'll continue with the story. Right now, there is no way I could possibly abandon it, the response has been amazing. That's also why you re getting this chapter so soon. It took me less than a day to write it out and that s my personal record. Enough rambling. Bye, Ann**


	3. Chapter 3

For warnings and disclaimer, please see chapter one.

Chapter 3.

"So, does anyone have any idea where the hair-dresser is? Cause I don t think I saw any sign pointing towards it before," Richard said. The second team had left to the uniform room, leaving the third wondering where they were supposed to go.

"Well, the social worker's office was the first one we saw when entering from this side, and there are others on the other side, probably for the trainers and the General. So, I think we should just go on and look at what's written on the doors," Cedric said, looking around. He started walking forward and the others followed him, deciding that it would probably be the smartest thing to do. "Aha! Here it is!" Cedric exclaimed, stopping at a door. Smiling at the others, he opened the door and walked in, the other five team-members once again following him.

"Hello boys, so you're the first this year. Quite a lot of hair you lot have. Come on in and have a seat," said a man dressed in white. The boys shared a wary glance, making the man chuckle. Were all the additional workers a little creepy? "Well, who's first? The others can sit on the chairs over there. Come on, we don't have all day, the next team will be here soon. You, with the blond hair, you're first," the man said, pointing at Cedric. The boy gulped a little, looking back at the others. Harry whispered, "Good luck!", before going with the others to sit at the chairs placed opposite the door.

Cedric cautiously approached the chair the creepy man was holding out for him. He sat down and the chair was turned to face the mirror. A moment later, a cloth was placed over his front and shoulders. Then he heard the machine used to cut hair start, and prayed to what-ever deity was listening at that moment that the man actually knew what he was doing and wouldn't cut off his ears, or something. He closed his eyes, wishing that the experience was over already. His hair had been cut many times in different military camps, but this guy was just too creepy to be real.

"There, all done. That wasn't so bad, was it?" the man said, removing the cloth from Cedric. The boy opened his eyes and looked in the mirror, happy to see both of his ears still attached to his head. He gave a sigh of relief and stood up from his seat, walking over to the others. He sat down next to Harry, laying his head on the other boy's shoulder.

The man looked at the boys, asking, "So, who is next? Oh, come on, it's not that bad. I'm just a normal barber, nothing like Sweeny Todd. No need to worry, I won't be slitting your throats." Instead of reassuring the boys, the man's words made them even more wary of him.

Finally, Harry stood up and said, "The sooner this is over, the sooner we can get out of here." He walked over to the barber's chair and sat down, closing his eyes and hoping that his hair would just this once listen to him and not grow back in the next two months. He really didn't want to come back here after he got to leave. A few minutes later he heard the machine stop and opened his eyes. His hair was cut really short, the shortest he'd seen it, if you don't count the haircut that his Aunt Petunia gave him. Though Harry really hoped that his hair wouldn't start growing back till the middle of August. He stood up and nearly ran over to the others. Cedric grabbed hold of his hand as soon as Harry had sat down.

The barber looked at the boys once again. "Four of you left, come on, I don't bite."

Harry looked at the others and said, "The sooner you let him cut your hair the sooner we can get out of here and hope to never have to return. The longer you stall, the worse it'll be. Richard, go. Do it for the good of the team."

Richard nodded and stood a little shakily. He started walking, looking like he was going to his own execution. Which could be true, looking at how creepy the man was. Soon Richard was done as well and only Chris and the twins were left. Chris was the next to go and then there were just the twins left. They shared a hug and Alex said, "Be brave, my brother. Be brave." Clark nodded and went to the barber's chair. After he returned, they repeated their earlier actions, only this time Clark spoke.

As soon as the machine stopped, all five boys who had been waiting stood up and moved to wait by the door. The barber removed the cloth from Alex and after a look in the mirror, the boy was out of the chair and the whole team was out the door.

Cedric, who had been given the instruction sheet, looked at it to see where they had to go next. "The uniforms next, and then the medical examination. Man, I hope that the doctor is at least a little more normal than these creeps." The others nodded and together they walked to where they'd gotten their first uniform sets. The guy there, while a little weird, was no-where near as scary as the barber had been.

"Ah, so you're back again. I was starting to wonder if you'd gotten lost on your way here. The last boys left over five minutes ago. No matter, lets find you your uniforms." The man said, shuffling around in his boxes. He looked up at the six boys, eyeing them up and down. "So, which one of you is first?" he asked. This scared the poor boys once again, so they backed up a few steps once again. "Ah, I see you were with the barber. Strange man, he is. The boys are always a little unsettled when they come from there. Anyway, lets start with you," He said and grabbed hold of Cedric, pulling him forward. The poor boy was so shocked that he just stood there, still as a statue, until the old man pressed a dark green cloth bag in his arms. "Here's the rest of your uniforms. Now, what's your last name?" He asked.

"He's Parker. I'm his partner, Potter," Harry said stepping forward. The old man nodded and looked through a small box. Finally, he pulled out two small plastic bags and handed them to Harry, saying, "These are your name-tags. Now, I'll find you your other uniforms in a moment." Harry nodded and then turned his attention to Cedric. He led the poor boy back to the others, while muttering, "It's okay, Cedric. Snap out of it." He slapped Cedric's cheek lightly.

That brought the boy back and he gave a shudder. "This camp is the creepiest I've ever been to. And I've been to more camps than I can count. It must be because you're all British. You're creepy." And he shuddered again.

Harry just rolled his eyes at that, but the others burst out laughing or made indignant noises. "Yeah, yeah, like you're one to talk." Then he was given a bag like Cedric's and the old man grabbed another victim.

It took about ten to fifteen more minutes for them all to get their extra uniforms and then they headed off to the med-building. After Cedric managed to find the instructions paper.

"Shouldnt we take our things to our dorm first? I mean, it would be pretty weird to go to the examinations with these bags," Chris said, holding up his bag. The others nodded and so they made a detour to their dorm to drop off the bags. After that, they had no plausible reason to avoid the med-building. Not that they'd ever admit to trying to avoid it. Never. Just that after the creepy people they'd already met, there was a high chance the doctor was insane and would like to dissect them for fun. They walked as slow as possible without looking too suspicious. Finally they reached the building and stopped, quietly arguing about who would be entering first. All eyes turned to Harry, who sighed and walked towards the door, the others slowly following after him. He slowly pushed the door open and walked in cautiously, as if expecting an attack. Maybe he was. Who knows?

The med-building was painted white inside, while outside it was just like the other buildings around it. There were two rows of beds, on either side of the room they were in and it reminded Harry of the Hogwarts infirmary. He just knew he was going to hate the place. The others were having similar thoughts, only they weren't thinking of the Hogwarts Hospital Wing. That would have been kinda strange. And suspicious. Anyway, they saw half of the second team sitting on a bed near the back of the room. There were three beds on the right side with their curtains drawn.

"The others should be done soon. We've all had our examinations. Wasn't as scary as I expected," one of them said.

Harry noticed that Dudley and his partner weren't among the boys waiting. He wondered what the doctors might think of the two. Probably wonder how long they could last in the camp, before demanding that their parents come to take them home. Not long, probably.

The third team took seats on the empty beds, speaking quietly to each other while they waited. Soon an argument about who would be the first to go started. It continued on for minutes and they didn't even notice when the second half of the other team came back from behind the curtains. They did notice the cough one of the doctors gave, and as one, they turned around to look at the adults. Some of them gulped, others just stared.

"Right, as you can't seem to decide who is going to be the first, we'll just take the closest to us. Which means you," the one who'd coughed said, indicating to Chris, Alex and Clark. The boys gulped and got up, following the doctors to the curtained beds. They wished each other strength and good luck and then disappeared from view.

About five minutes later Chris emerged and sent Richard in. When asked about what the doctor had done to him, he shrugged and said it wasn't as bad as he expected. That was all he said and then he fell quiet, not uttering another sound. It unnerved both Harry and Cedric so much, that once the twins returned and their time came, they stood on shaky legs, slowly walking towards the free doctors.

"Be strong, Harry," Cedric said. Harry nodded and wished the other boy good luck, before they stepped through the white curtains.

"Hello, no need to be so afraid, I don't bite. I am Dr. Wells. Now, what is your name?" the man in the white coat asked.

"Harry Potter, sir," Harry said.

"Well then, Harry, have a seat while I look for your file," dr. Wells said. Harry did as told, sitting on the edge of the bed, at the foot of it. He waited quietly while the doctor shuffled through files and then after finding his, looked through it.

"Now, can you tell me why there are no medical records for you after the age of eleven?" the man asked.

Harry gulped. What could he tell? "Well, I go to a boarding school in Scotland and I'm only home for a part of the summer. There hasn't been any need for me to see the doctor during the time I spend with my relatives and they don't particularly care what happens to me at school." There, he'd told the truth without giving anything too important away.

"Hmm," was all the doctor said to that, though the look in his eyes said a lot more. "Can you tell me the last time your eyes were examined?"

"I think I was about nine, an optometrist came to our school and he prescribed these glasses for me," Harry said, well aware how that made his relatives seem. But since they were far away and couldn't exactly do anything to him without making themselves look even worse, he didn't feel too afraid.

"Okay, that was too long ago. We'll check your eyes later and I'll have contact lenses made for you. The best thing would be a laser-operation, but it would take three days for you to recover, and we can't have you missing anything. So, we'll do the regular check-up first and then your eyes," dr. Wells said. He then asked Harry all sorts of questions, like if he had any allergies, had he recently broken any bones, were there any chronic illnesses. He then did some tests, took a blood sample and then asked Harry to follow him. The boy was led to a room off the main one, where there were all sorts of machines. He got his eyes checked there and the doctor gave him some drops for his eyes and said he'd have the contacts tomorrow.

Harry went back to his team-mates, but before they could leave, one of the doctors called out. "Wait, we forgot to weigh and measure you." The boys sighed at that, but went back to the doctors. They were taken in pairs, one weighed, the other measured and then switched. The doctors frowned at how small and light Harry was, and silently agreed to discuss his case further when they were done with all the examinations.

Soon they were all dismissed and they headed outside, where they found the other teams, along with Captain Merry, waiting for them. They were led by the Captain to another building, which, as he explained, was the canteen. All meals, save the times they were on missions, would be eaten there. Then he left them to eat lunch, with instructions to gather in front of the main building in thirty minutes. Then their first exercise would be explained.

TBC.

AN: Sorry that it took so long, I've been busy with school. I live in the dorm and so I had to get my things ready before school started and then I just didn't have the time or energy to write. I'm also sorry that it's so short, but I think it's better than nothing. I don't have much time again, since my bus goes in three hours and I still have to edit this after uploading it. I don't know when the next update is going to be, since I'm staging "Hamlet" in the dorm and it's insane trying to get everyone together for the rehearsals. So far we've had to of those, and we're supposed to be playing it on Thursday. My fault, but, oh well. :) I'll try to write more. ANn. :)


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